The scheduled-airline vacuum at Dubai World Central’s new Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) has created an opportunity for business aviation operators hard pressed to obtain adequate slots at Dubai International Airport (DXB), according to Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman of government-owned Dubai Aviation City Corp., whose main responsibility is construction at Dubai Aviation City.

“We are developing the infrastructure at Dubai Aviation City for executive flights. International players could develop the business and executive side, as well as MRO,” he said. “One area in our passenger terminal is [dedicated] to executive flights, ready to go. We have already signed with executive flight operators to build their FBO operations.”

Aircraft management and charter firm ExecuJet Aviation Group and MRO specialist Jet Aviation are spearheading the move, said Al Zaffin, who wants other potential players to cooperate on the FBO. He envisions a single facility run by a consortium, so that early adopters don’t leave the rest behind. “For now, we want to attract everybody. If you nominate two operators, they would take advantage and the rest would lose out,” he said. “If all of them are working on it, I think there is a sense of ownership. You want to have more [operators] coming, and more developing.”